NSW builders and developers watching government housing work have a new process to track as at 28 October 2026. Under its From factory to front door plan, released on 21 June 2026 with the 2026-27 Budget, the NSW Government is running a two-stage tender for modern methods of construction factory operators. It is also setting government procurement to favour these methods. The problem for builders is timing. New factory capacity is years away, but tenders for homes are being let now.
The tender timeline
The Cushman and Wakefield information memorandum prepared for the NSW Government sets out the stages:
- Expressions of interest closed on 3 August 2026.
- Requests for proposals run from September to November 2026.
- Negotiation is planned for December 2026.
- Chosen operators must reach production within 3 years.
Alongside the tender, the NSW Government committed $4m in Housing Innovation in Construction Fund grants, $1.6m for an MMC regulatory framework and national certification, and $32.3m over 4 years to modernise building approvals.
What builders should watch
- Procurement weighting. If government tenders score offsite methods, builders without a module supplier lined up may lose points.
- The new prefab law. The Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Act 2026 received assent on 14 August 2026. Its prefabricated building declarations and instructions will be detailed by regulation. Our note on the NSW prefabricated building law covers what is known.
- Homes NSW volumes. Homes NSW completed 8 MMC homes in 2025 and plans 90 by the end of 2026.
Why modular fits NSW now
The policy direction is set, but the factories being tendered will not produce for some time. Builders bidding on social, key worker and regional work in the meantime need module supply that exists today. The NSW Government reported on 9 February 2026 that three modular homes at Shellharbour went from approval to completion in 14 to 16 weeks. That kind of result is what procurement teams will compare bids against.
What EcoPrestige supplies
EcoPrestige supplies engineered structural steel volumetric modules, built and inspected in an offsite factory, to the builder who holds the head contract. We provide the module engineering inputs, the surveyor pack and a delivery sequence. We are not the builder and we do not take the site. See how we work as a modular supplier for builders.
What does not fit
We are not bidding for the NSW factory tender, and this article is not advice on how to win it. Modular supply also suits repeat, low-rise building forms best. Sites with poor access, steep fall or a planning position still in doubt are better resolved before any factory work is booked.
The approval path in NSW
EcoPrestige coordinates the module design with your consultants; permit drawings are issued by the registered or licensed practitioner the state requires. Until the 2026 Act commences, Class 2, 3 and 9c buildings need a registered design practitioner and a registered engineer under the Design & Building Practitioners Act. Class 1, 10 and 5 to 9b have no designer registration. A registered certifier certifies, and homes need BASIX. Confirm with your certifier.
The programme
The factory builds the modules while the builder completes footings, services and civil works. Both streams run in parallel, so time on site is shorter. For tender bids, we can give a supply programme that slots into the builder’s master programme once the permit date is known.
What to send us
- 1. The tender or project name and its closing date.
- 2. The site address and access notes.
- 3. The use and building class your certifier expects.
- 4. Drawings or the reference design.
- 5. Your consultant list.
For Sydney projects, our modular construction Sydney guide covers access and lifting in denser areas.
NSW MMC factory tender: questions builders ask
What is the NSW MMC factory tender?
It is the two-stage tender for modern methods of construction factory operators under the NSW Government’s From factory to front door plan, released on 21 June 2026.
What are the key dates?
Expressions of interest closed on 3 August 2026, requests for proposals run from September to November 2026 and negotiation is planned for December 2026, according to the Cushman and Wakefield information memorandum.
When must the chosen operators be producing?
The information memorandum says operators must reach production within 3 years.
Does the tender stop builders using modular now?
No. The tender is about new factory capacity. Builders can use modular supply on NSW projects today under the current approval rules.
Who issues permit drawings for NSW commercial work?
EcoPrestige coordinates the module design with your consultants; permit drawings are issued by the registered or licensed practitioner the state requires.
Pricing NSW work while the factory tender runs?
Send the site, the use and any drawings to prebuilt@ecoprestige.com.au or download our technical brochures.